Apple to let customers exchange broken iPhones for new ones

Apple loyalists in China line up, braving the rain, waiting for the new Apple Store to open its doors in Guangzhou, January 2016Getty Images

Apple will soon be launching a new iPhone upgrade program which will allow customers to trade-in their old and/or damaged iPhones for new ones. As part of its new retail initiative, the tech giant will also encourage Apple employees to install screen protectors on new iPhones.

The current Apple Store Reuse and Recycle iPhone trade-in program allows customers to exchange older models of iPhones for credit, which they can then use to purchase a new iPhone or any other Apple product. However, the current program was restrictive, in that it did not allow customers with damaged iPhones, such as cracked screens, broken cameras or faulty home buttons, to exchange their device for either store credit or any other new Apple product.

Apple's new store upgrade program for iPhones is about to make any bumbling, accident-prone or butterfingered iPhone user very happy. According to a report by 9to5Mac, the new program is set to go into effect this week and will enable Apple Stores to offer credit in exchange for iPhone 5s and iPhone6/6 Plus models with damages to display screen, camera and phone buttons.

Apple believes that the program may encourage customers to opt for an upgraded, new iPhone model, instead of choosing the iPhone repair services. This theory does hold water, since, in some cases, it would be more of an economically sound decision to simply trade in for a newer model, instead of spending an inordinate amount, just to repair an older, already damaged iPhone.

In addition to the upgraded program, Apple will now encourage its store employees to install plastic screen protectors on all iPhones, free of cost. Apple has reportedly collaborated with screen protector manufacturer Belkin, to house new dedicated screen-protector installation machines in all its stores. The tech giant will also offer free replacement screen protectors and reinstallations to iPhone users, in the event that an installation has been performed erroneously.